i n the business guide to Credit Management n ii Cash in on our experience Making change happen is one thing; making it stick is quite another Many businesses have made cash their focus, but maintaining results depends on management leading and embedding behaviours across the entire business Talk to us about how to maintain cash behaviours, and how we can help you stay ahead Visit us now at pwc.co.uk/rmg © 2010 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP All rights reserved ‘PricewaterhouseCoopers’ refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (a limited liability partnership in the United Kingdom) or, as the context requires, the PricewaterhouseCoopers global network or other member firms of the network, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity iii n thE businEss guidE to Credit Management Advice and solutions for cash-flow control, financial risk and debt management Consultant Editor: Jonathan Reuvid RECOMMENDED BY I NST IT UT E OF D I R EC TORS n iv This book has been endorsed by the Institute of Directors The endorsement is given to selected Kogan Page books which the IoD recognizes as being of specific interest to its members and providing them with up-to-date, informative and practical resources for creating business success Kogan Page books endorsed by the IoD represent the most authoritative guidance available on a wide range of subjects including management, finance, marketing, training and HR The views expressed in this book are those of the authors and are not necessarily the same as those of the Institute of Directors Publisher’s note Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is accurate at the time of going to press, and the publishers and authors cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused No responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or any of the authors First published in Great Britain and the United States in 2010 by Kogan Page Limited Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licences issued by the CLA Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned addresses: 120 Pentonville Road 525 South 4th Street, #241 London N1 9JN Philadelphia PA 19147 United Kingdom USA www.koganpage.com 4737/23 Ansari Road Daryaganj New Delhi 110002 India © Kogan Page, Jonathan Reuvid and individual contributors, 2010 The right of Kogan Page, Jonathan Reuvid and individual contributors to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 ISBN 978 7494 5978 E-ISBN 978 7494 5979 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Reuvid, Jonathan The business guide to credit management : advice and solutions for cost control, financial risk management and capital protection / Jonathan Reuvid – 1st ed p cm ISBN 978-0-7494-5978-9 – ISBN 978-0-7494-5979-6 1. Credit–Management 2. Cost control 3. Risk management. I Title HG3751.R48 2010 658.8'8–dc22 2010005213 Typeset by Saxon Graphics Ltd, Derby Printed and bound in Great Britain by MPG Books Ltd, Bodmin, Cornwall v n n vi vii n Contents List of Contributors Foreword by Miles Templeman, he Institute of Directors Preface by Philip King, The Institute of Credit Management Introduction Jonathan Reuvid xvi xxi xxiii Part 1: Back to basics 1.1 Keeping control of your cash flow Ross McFarlane, RBS Invoice Finance Approve new customers 6; Fund invoiced sale 6; Collect invoices and credit control 7; Protect from insolvency and bad debts 7; Management information and constant attention 1.2 Do you have the courage to establish cash-generating behaviours in your business? 12 Niall Cooter, PricewaterhouseCoopers What does good look like? 12; What behaviours we see in underperforming companies? 13; Where these undesirable behaviours come from? 14; How we change behaviour? 14; What are we hoping to see from this change? 16; Do you have the courage to make change happen? 17 1.3 National debt (business to business) UK Graham D Sands, Amril Limited Cash flow and its importance 19; Credit control 20; Personal relationships 21; The roles of staff and management 22; Payment practices 23 19 n viii Contents 1.4 Paying on time is good for business – the prompt payment code Philip King, The Institute of Credit Management 26 Part Improving cash flow 31 2.1 Preventing slow payments: not suffer in silence Martin Williams, Graydon UK Ltd General principles 34; How to improve cash collection 34; Summary 37 33 2.2 Bill payment by direct credit – the importance of accurate referencing Peter Finlayson, UK Payments Administration Introduction 39; Bill payments 40; Best practice guidelines 43; Next steps 46; Note 46 2.3 The search for solid ground – outsourcing to stabilize your debt management performance Mike Purvis, Transcom Worldwide (UK) Introduction 48; A unique bind 50; Managing customers or pursuing debt 51; Analysing the risk 51; Building flexibility 52; Buy ‘results’ 52 2.4 The collections industry George Miles, Paladin Commercial Credit Management Introduction 55; The collections industry 56; Debt sale and purchase 56; Invoice discounting 57; The collectors 57; Petition 58; Collectability Index 59; Conclusion 60 55 2.5 An introduction to debt sale and purchase Joyce Newman, Lowell Group The benefits of debt sale 63; Market development 63; The sale process 64; Optimizing collections 65; Regulation and treating customers fairly 65; The future 66 62 Part Innovation and success in managing credit 3.1 Proactive credit management is key for successful customer relationships and business continuity Maarten de Wild, OnGuard Credit Management Software The role of credit management 72; The reasons for failure 72; Profitable credit management 72; What priorities are required: eight tips 73; Conclusion 80 39 48 69 71 ix n Need a helping hand? Trace a debtors new address, debt collection, employment status reports & pre-sue reports Visit us at www.traceadebt.com for more information or call 01273 621705 19792_COL HP AD.indd 05/03/2010 12:12:44 Traceadebt.com is powered by Vilcol, one of the UK’s leading trace & debt recovery companies Vilcol operate the broadest range of debt collection & credit management services across every type and size of business PREMIER SUPPORT SERVICE - for credit control departments Vilcol offer a premier support service for credit control departments in the corporate market place Incorporated in 1988 Vilcol has been in business for twenty one years Their debt recovery and investigations rank in the top 10 of over 800 agencies in the UK That has put approximately £12 billion a year back into the hands of the rightful owners companies This helps to ensure other people’s jobs, in effect a vital component in the engine room of the economy Vilcol partners with organisations to recover their overdue accounts and bad debt according to the client’s own criteria One of the most successful new methods of chasing payment is to incorporate that goal within a customer care approach This worked at Vilcol and reduced our late payers by 20% straight away Telephoning to confirm prompt delivery and the quality of your product establishes early the nature advertisement feature n 186 Appendix I the social climate In 2009 the contraction in oil production, however, will lead to a recession and the recovery in 2010 will probably be moderate The business climate improved with Saudi Arabia’s admission to the WTO in late 2005 But it continues to suffer from persistent weaknesses in governance terms The performance of companies could suffer from the economic slowdown, with deterioration of their payment behaviour not unlikely in view of their traditional vulnerability to a downturn of barrel prices With barrel prices substantially below their average levels in 2008, a decline in hydrocarbon production will likely result in a sharp drop in export earnings and fiscal revenues, which will still derive mainly from oil The public sector and current account balances will consequently be far below their levels of past years The country will likely be able to cope effectively with the economic downturn, since it starts from a solid financial position Assets The number one OPEC oil producer, Saudi Arabia occupies a strategic position in the markets That strategic position in conjunction with its regional economic and political throw-weight has made the kingdom a privileged interlocutor for the United States The country has been opening up to foreign investment Its financial position is sufficiently solid to enable it to cope with external shocks Weaknesses The growth of oil sector production (with its ‘swing-producer’ role in adjusting to world demand and OPEC policy) has been erratic Conservative traditions have impeded political and economic liberalization Strong demographic growth and an unsuitable education system have resulted in high unemployment that could jeopardize the social climate Regional geographical instability has weighed on the investment environment Australia Country rating: A2 The political and economic situation is good A basically stable and efficient business environment nonetheless leaves room for improvement Corporate default probability is low on average Business climate rating: A1 The business environment is very good Corporate financial information is available and reliable Debt collection is efficient Institutional quality is very good Intercompany transactions run smoothly in environments rated A1 Appendix I 187 n Risk assessment The economy improved slightly in the 2009 first quarter (up 0.l4 per cent y/y) thanks to a range of government support measures intended for households (tax rebates, aid to first-time property owners) and companies Other factors have contributed to Australia’s economic strength, including: steady iron ore and coal exports buoyed by the high prices prevailing in recent years and reductions in the Central Bank’s key rates, which have spurred consumption by households by reducing their debt service burden But the recent downward renegotiation (over 30 per cent) of prices associated with raw material shipments and the tendency cultivated by China these past weeks to operate in commodity futures markets to meet its supply needs is expected to undermine mining company exports and investment Saddled with heavy debt averaging 156 per cent of disposable income, households will continue to exercise extreme caution on spending (deterioration of the labour market and priority given to replenishing emergency savings) and to repay debt Economic growth is expected to contract nearly one per cent this year Means of payment and collection methods As a former colony of the British Crown, Australia’s legal system and legal precepts are broadly inspired by British ‘common law’ and the British court system On January 1901, the six British colonies formed the dominion of Australia as an independent union within the Commonwealth Payments Bills of exchange and promissory notes are not widely used in Australia and are considered, above all, to authenticate the existence of a claim Cheques, defined as ‘bills of exchange drawn on a bank and payable on presentation’, are commonly used for domestic and even international transactions SWIFT bank transfers are the most commonly used payment method for international transactions The majority of Australian banks are connected to the SWIFT electronic network, offering a rapid, reliable and cost-effective means of payment The Australian dollar, along with the main foreign currencies, is now also part of the Continuous Linked Settlement Scheme (CLS), a highly automated interbank transfer system for processing international trade settlements Moreover, the handling of payments via the client bank’s internet site is becoming increasingly commonplace Debt collection The collection process starts with the service of an order to pay via a registered ‘seven-day letter’, reminding the client of his obligation to pay the amount due plus any contractually agreed interest penalties or, lacking such a penalty clause, interest at the legal rate applicable in each state n 188 Appendix I In the absence of payment by the debtor company and if the creditor’s claim is due for payment, uncontested, and over AUS$ 2,000 (or after a ruling has been made), the creditor company may issue a summons demanding payment within 21 days Unless the debtor settles the claim within the required time frame, the creditor may lodge a petition for the winding-up of the debtor’s company, considered insolvent (statutory demand under section 459E of the Corporations Act 2001) Under ordinary proceedings, once a statement of claim (summons) has been filed and where debtors have no grounds on which to dispute claims, creditors may solicit a fast-track procedure enabling them to obtain an enforcement order by issuing the debtor with an ‘application for summary judgment’ This petition must be accompanied by an affidavit (a sworn statement by the plaintiff attesting to the claim’s validity) along with supporting documents authenticating the unpaid claim For more complex or disputed claims, creditors must instigate standard civil proceedings, an arduous, often lengthy process lasting up to two years given the fact that the court systems vary from one state to another During the preliminary phase, the proceedings are written insofar as the court examines the case documents attesting to the parties’ respective claims During the subsequent ‘discovery phase’, the parties’ lawyers may request their adversaries to submit any proof or witness testimony that is relevant to the matter and duly examine the case documents thus submitted Before handing down its judgment, the court examines the case and holds an adversarial hearing of the witnesses, who may be cross-examined by the parties’ lawyers Local Courts or Magistrates Courts (depending on the State) hear minor disputes involving amounts ranging from a minimum AUS$ 40,000 in the State of South Australia up to a maximum AUS$ 100,000 in the States of Victoria or Northern Territory Beyond these various thresholds, disputes involving financial claims up to AU$ 675,000 in New South Wales, AU$ 500,000 in Western Australia or AU$ 250,000 in Queensland, for example, are heard either by the County Court or District Court, depending on the State Claims equal to those threshold amounts or greater are heard by the Supreme Court of each State Since January 2007, the State of Victoria has granted the County Court the jurisdiction to hear disputes irrespective of size of claims involved As a general rule, appeals lodged against Supreme Court decisions, where a prior ruling in appeal instance has been handed down by a panel of judges, are heard by the High Court of Australia, in Canberra, which may decide, only with ‘leave’ of the court itself, to examine cases of clear legal merit The right of final recourse before the Privy Council, in London, was abolished on March 1986 (Australia Act 1986) Lastly, although the Australian legal system does not have commercial courts per se, in certain States, such as New South Wales, commercial sections of the District or Supreme Courts offer fast-track proceedings for commercial disputes Since February 1977, Federal courts have been created alongside the State courts and established in each State capital The federal courts have wide powers to Appendix I 189 n hear civil and commercial cases (like company law, winding up proceedings), as well as fiscal or maritime matters, intellectual property, consumer law, and so on In certain cases, the jurisdictional boundaries between State and Federal Courts may be indistinct and this may lead to conflicts, depending on the merits of each case Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) procedures may also be used to resolve disputes more rapidly and obtain out of court settlements, often at a lower cost than through the ordinary adversarial procedure South Africa Country rating: A3 Rating watchlisted with negative implications since June 2008 Changes in a generally good but somewhat volatile political and economic environment can affect corporate payment behaviour A basically secure business environment can nonetheless give rise to occasional difficulties for companies Corporate default probability is quite acceptable on average Business climate rating: A3 The business environment is relatively good Although not always available, corporate financial information is usually reliable Debt collection and the institutional framework may have some shortcomings Intercompany transactions may run into occasional difficulties in the otherwise secure environments rated A3 Risk assessment Slumping household consumption and exports Economic growth fell from 5.0 per cent on average these past four years to 3.5 per cent in 2008 Production and investment in the mining sector suffered from power failures in the first quarter, while households – with debt burdens representing over 80 per cent of disposable income – tended to hold back on spending The economy will likely slow further in 2009 amid a sharp fall in ore prices and sluggish private consumption The worsening economic conditions are borne out by the deterioration of the Coface payment incident index, with South Africa now rated no better than the world average Although inflation, mainly imported from abroad, peaked at 13.6 per cent in August 2008 stoked by surging prices for food and oil products, it has been easing since then, a trend likely to continue in 2009 The Central Bank, doubtless envisaging gradual reduction of its key rate – previously raised 450 basis points between June 2006 and June 2008 – made five rate cuts since December 2008 (the repo rate is currently at 7.5 per cent) The contraction of the current account balance and FED zero interest rate policy should enable the Central Bank to support the internal demands as well as to establish the rand, thanks to the rate discrepancy favourable to trade operations n 190 Appendix I Stiffening conditions for financing the current deficit Thanks to the prudent fiscal policy maintained these past years, the government now has room for manoeuvre in pursuing counter-cyclical policy The Minister of Finance thus presented a budget for 2009/10 – the first in three years showing a deficit – with spending focused on public investment in infrastructure, transport and energy The capital goods imports necessary for these investments will contribute, however, to widening the current account deficit, offsetting to some extent the fall of oil prices and the drop in imports of consumer goods, with South Africa’s external position weakening in consequence The volatility of portfolio investments – which play a preponderant role in financing from abroad – thus increases with the rising risk aversion to emerging risk Foreign direct investment could similarly begin to wane, with international credit drying up Multilateral development banks are in this context expected to become a major source of financing in 2009, while external needs could reach US$ 25 billion With the stiffening conditions for financing the current account tending to exacerbate the rand’s volatility, exchange rate risk will in any case remain high in 2009 However, the banking system – relatively unscathed by the subprime crisis – will have little exposure to exchange rate risk in view of the limited extent of positions opened to foreign currency Political uncertainties and social risk With Jacob Zuma – backed by the communist party and unions – winning the presidential election in 2009, the country’s future political and economic policies should remain unchanged However, the leader’s ability to reconcile policies apt to reassure the markets with redistribution policies, such as agrarian reform and affirmative action, intended to benefit the historically underprivileged, has met with some scepticism The social solution, already tense, as evidenced by the xenophobic violence that broke out in June 2008 in Johannesburg and the Cape townships, could deteriorate further with the expected rising of unemployment Assets With the country generating 33 per cent of African GDP, its economic and political influence is an inescapable fact on the continent South Africa boasts extensive mining resources, diversified industry and a highperforming tertiary sector (banks, telecommunications, transport) Public sector finances have been under control, with financing needs moderate and foreign debt limited With the country’s good creditworthiness, the government has enjoyed substantial capacity to contract new loans Tight economic management and the quality of the business environment represent a major asset Appendix I 191 n Weaknesses Under-investment in energy infrastructure has given rise to a chronic energy crisis likely to last for the next five years A lack of skilled labour hinders implementation of vast investment projects not only in energy but also in transport Although South Africa is one of the main beneficiaries of foreign direct investment in sub-Saharan Africa, the investments nonetheless not suffice to cover its growing financing needs A yawning wage gap reflects the social and economic dualism inherited from apartheid with Black Economic Empowerment policies thus far not contributing much to reducing the inequality that stirs social and political tensions n 192 Appendix II – Contributors’ contact list Amril Limited Chester Avenue Worthing West Sussex BN11 2EB Tel +44 (0) 1903 215748 Contact: Graham Sands E-mail: graham.sands@amril.co.uk Website: www.amril.co.uk Aon Trade Credit Devonshire Square London EC2M 4PL Tel: +44 (0) 20 7882 0146 Contact: Amy Slayford E-mail: amy.slayford@aon.co.uk Website: www.aon.co.uk/tradecredit Appendix II 193 n Bierens Incasso Advocates PO Box 92 5460 AB Veghel Zuikade 5422 CD Veghel The Netherlands Tel: +31 (0) 413 380 980 Fax: +31 (0) 413 351 365 Contact: John Holmes Direct line: +31 (0) 20 312 11 00 E-mail: j.holmes@bierensgroup.com Website: www.bierens-incasso-advocaten.com Coface UK & Ireland Egale 80 St Albans Road Watford WD17 1RP Tel: +44 (0) 870 458 2246 / 1923 478111 Fax: +44 (0) 1023 478101 Contact: Xavier Denecker E-mail: enquiries@cofaceuk.com Website: www.cofaceuk.com Graydon UK Ltd Hygeia Building 66 College Road Harrow London HA1 1BE Tel: +44 (0) 20 8515 1400 Contact: Martin Williams E-mail: martin.williams@graydon.co.uk Website: www.graydon.co.uk Hethe Management Services Little Manor Wroxton, Banbury Oxfordshire OX15 6QE Tel: +44 (0) 1295 738070 Contact: Jonathan Reuvid E-mail: jreuvidembooks@aol.com n 194 Appendix II High Court Enforcement Officers Association 50 Broadway London SW1H 0RG Tel: +44 (0) 20 7152 4017 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7152 4001 Contact: Vernon Phillips E-mail: v.phillips@hceoa.org.uk Website: www.hceoa.org.uk The Institute of Credit Management The Water Mill Station Road South Luffenham Oakham Leicestershire LE15 8NB Tel: +44 (0) 1780 722900 Contact: Philip King E-mail: dg@icm.org.uk Website: www.icm.org.uk Jobs In Credit Foxhall Business Centre Foxhall Road Nottingham NG7 6LH Tel: +44 (0) 115 845 6485 Contact: Brett Marlow Mobile: +44 (0) 7901 854012 E-mail: brett.marlow@jobsincredit.com Website: www.jobsincredit.com Lovetts plc Bramley House The Guildway Old Portsmouth Road Guildford GU3 1LR Tel: +44 (0) 1483 457500 Fax: +44 (0) 1483 457700 Contact: Trevor Philips E-mail: trevorp@lovetts.co.uk Website: www.lovetts.co.uk Appendix II 195 n Lowell Group Enterprise House Apex View Leeds LS11 9BH Tel: +44 (0) 845 300 9410 Fax: +44 (0) 845 300 9411 Contact: Joyce Newman E-mail: joyce.newman@lowellgroup.co.uk Website: www.lowellgroup.co.uk Mint Credit Management UK Ltd Mint House 19 Easton Street High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP11 1NT Tel: +44 (0) 870 446 0702 Fax: +44 (0) 870 446 0703 Contact: Zoe Lacey E-mail: zoe@mintcm.com Website: www.mintcm.com Moreton Smith Ltd 80 Clerkenwell Road London EC1M 5RJ Tel: +44 (0) 20 7490 9010 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7490 9083 Contact: Charles Mayhew E-mail: charlesmayhew@moretonsmith.com Website: www.moretonsmith.com OnGuard PO Box 125 1394 ZJ Nederhorst den Berg Slotlaan The Netherlands Tel: +31 (0) 294 25 66 66 Fax: +31 (0) 294 25 77 33 Contact: Maarten de Wild E-mail: maarten.de.wild@onguard.com Website: www.onguard.com n 196 Appendix II Paladin Commercial Credit Management 35 Chalk Hill Oxhey Watford WD19 4B7 Tel: +44 (0) 1923 800397 Fax: +44 (0) 1923 237911 Contact: George Miles E-mail: George@paladincommercial.co.uk Website: www.paladincommercial.co.uk Pricewaterhouse Coopers Donington Court Pegasus Business Park Castle Donington East Midlands DE74 2UZ Tel: +44 (0) 150 960 4319 Fax: +44 (0) 150 960 4010 Contact: Niall Cooter Mobile: +44 (0) 771 406 9861 E-mail: niall.cooter@uk.pwc.com Website: www.pwc.com/uk/rmg RBS Invoice Finance Smith House Elmwood Avenue Feltham Middlesex TW13 7QP Tel: +44 (0)800 711 911 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8886 7796 E-mail: invoicefinance@rbs.co.uk Website: www.rbsif.co.uk Resolvent Ltd St John’s Lane London EC1M 4BH Tel: +44 (0) 800 011 2686 Contact: Stewart Lund E-mail: stewart.lund@resolvent.co.uk Website: www.resolvent.co.uk Appendix II 197 n TAK-Outsourcing Ltd PO Box 292 Hampton Middlesex TW12 9AL Tel: +44 (0) 20 7100 5978 Contact: Simon Hampton E-mail: simon.hampton@tak-outsourcing.com Website: www.tak-outsourcing.com TALKINGtech UK Ltd Level Harbour Exchange London E14 9G3 Tel: +44 (0) 20 7987 0101 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7987 0303 Contact: Shaun Maloney Mobile: +44 (0) 77 6620 0273 E-mail: shaunm@eu.talkingtech.com Transcom Worldwide (UK) Transcom House Alban Park Hatfield Road St Albans AL4 0LA Contact: Mike Purvis E-mail: mike.purvis@transcom.com Website: www.transcom.com UK Payments Administration Mercury House, Tinton Court 14 Finsbury Square London EC2A 1LQ Tel: +44 (0) 20 7711 6228 Contact: Peter Finlayson E-mail: Petter.Finlayson@ukpayments.org.uk Website: www.ukpayments.org.uk n 198 Index bill payment by direct credit 39 et seq bill payments 40 best practice guidelines 43 et seq business to business (B2B) 42 categories 40 et seq consumer to business (C2B) 40 reconcillation best practice 45 cash collection, improving 34 signed contracts 34 cash flow, keeping control of et seq importance of 18 improvement of 96 et seq cash generation behaviour 12 et seq underperforming companies 13 et seq effecting improvement 14 et seq claims procedure 144 collectability index 59 collection optimization 65 process 99 strategy 98 collections industry 55 et seq agencies 56 petition to Government 58 collectors 57 Consumer Credit Act 2006 134 credit checks 21, 35,128 credit and collection industry, careers in 102 CVs 102 job hunting 103 recruitment of staff 107 credit control 7, 20,24 and collect invoices credit insurance 131 credit manager, scope 79 credit management audit 131 complaints 77 consultancy 131 customer contact 78 failure 72 priorities 73 et seq profitable 72 role of 72 software, use of 76 and successful customer relationships 71 et seq credit policy 98 cross-border debt recovery 149 et seq customer credit status 20 credit management team 23 large corporations 23 sales team, role of 22 customer knowledge, and credit risk 126 et seq basic information 129 consumer protection 134 debt collection 99 agency 136 and litigation strategies 140 et seq the right attitude 134 et seq soft 119 et seq Index 199 n escalation 99 pursuing – customer management 51 recovery 99 debt management performance, outsourcing for 48 et seq cost 52 debt sale 62 benefits of 63 market development 63 portfolio acquisition 64 and purchase 62 et seq regulation 65 sale process 66 debtor contact 89 et seq knowledge 91 sales outstanding 18 valid dispute 141 debtors, reluctant 49 direct credit bill payment 39 et seq documentary credits 162 documents 161 risk assessment 156 Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme European Order for Payment 149 alternatives 152 execution 151 procedure 150 expected pay date 35 exporting limiting credit risk 156 et seq methods of payment 159 risk assessment 166 et seq financial rating Coface system 84, 86 good practice 83 services 82 et seq fraud risk 21 High Court enforcement 110 et seq cost 113 means of settlement 112 Officer 110 additional services 114 power and responsibility 113 procedure 111 insolvency, bad debt protection Institute of Credit Managers xvi interactive voice messaging (IVM) 89 advantages 90 international credit and debt collection techniques 154 et seq sources of information 155 invoice discounting 57 invoiced sale funding liquidations statistics 127 litigation 136 means of settlement 112 National Payment Plan 39 new contact strategies 94 new customer approval outsourcing, collection 100 contracting 100 exit 100 operational plan 100 solutions 135 payment practices 23 postponement 80 predelinquency management 135 RBS facilities et seq reconcilliation, best practice 45 recovery commercial 137 consumer 138 revolving credits 163 risk analysis 51 portfolio monitoring 36 risk assessment in selected export markets (Coface) Australia 186 et seq Brazil 177 et seq China 183 et seq Czech Republic 174 et seq Germany 171 et seq India 181 et seq Russia 179 et seq Saudi Arabia 185 et seq n 200 Index South Africa 189 et seq USA 167 et seq sales ledger insurance 24 slow payments, protection from 33 et seq soft debt collection 119 et seq and customer relationships 120 future dealings 122 process 121 representative, choice of 121 statements, use of 35 supplier relationships, protection of 29 telephone, use of 35 trade credit broker 152 transmission payment 44 welcome calls 93 Index of advertisers Amril Aon Trade Credit Bierens Debt Recovery Lawyers Coface UK EOS Graydon UK Ltd High Court Enforcement Officers Association HSBC Bank PLC Jobs in Credit Leonard James & Co Ltd Lovetts PLC Lowell Group Mint Credit Management UK Ltd Moreton Smith Ltd OnGuard Paladin Commercial Credit Management Price Waterhouse Cooper LLP Royal Bank of Scotland Tak Outsourcing Ltd Talking Tech Transcom Worldwide UK Payments Administration Vilcol Ltd 18 125 148 81 xiv–xv 32 109 v xiv 118 61 133 74–75 54 ii vi 95 88 47 38 ix–xi [...]... beyond In such times, the senior management of all enterprises, both big and small, are focusing their attention on credit management and how to improve their business performance Published in association with the Institute of Directors (IoD) and the Institute of Credit Management (ICM), this new business guide addresses the issues involved The book is divided into five parts and all but the last chapter... best practice which directors and managers will wish to observe; straying beyond supplier and service provider terms of business without prior agreement is likely to damage long-term business relationships In order to avoid these perils, paying closer attention to the management of a company’s own debtors must be a priority The Business Guide to Credit Management addresses both the simpler and more complex... Purvis is Managing Director of Transcom Worldwide (UK), a leading provider of outsourced credit management, debt collection and customer management services Jonathan Reuvid is co-author of the Handbook of International Trade and the Handbook of World Trade, the editor of Managing Business Risk and is the editor and part-author of investment guides to China, the 10 countries that joined the EU in 2004 and... limited access to finance The role of the professional credit manager in keeping the cash flowing is becoming ever more critical Credit management can be defined simply as the policies and practices businesses follow in collecting payments from their customers The credit manager is the individual tasked with setting these processes and ensuring they are effectively implemented Modern credit managers... readers will want to continue with the improved credit management strategies and practices that they have developed during the period of economic reverse In the ubiquitous words of government agencies and others that fail to deliver, ‘lessons have been learnt’ Jonathan Reuvid December 2009 3 n Part 1 Back to basics n 4 A billion reasons why you should talk to Moreton Smith: Moreton Smith manages... Experience Director at specialist trade credit broker Aon Trade Credit UK and has worked within the trade credit insurance industry for over 10 years Amy works with the UK broking and development teams to help them deliver consistent value and service to their clients Aon’s specialist trade credit team works with clients to design specific trade receivable solutions to meet their strategic business needs... its sincere thanks to the key sponsors, whose logos appear on the front cover and to the other contributing advertisers who have supported the book I add my personal appreciation to all the authors who have written with clarity and insight to provide informative editorial Hopefully, we shall move forward into a recovery phase soon from the present low ebb in our business affairs, but there is little doubt... Templeman, Director General of the Institute of Directors If anyone was in doubt as to the paramount importance of cash flow to any business enterprise, whether great or small, the experience of the past three years – combining the cumulative effects of both the credit crunch’ and a global recession – has hammered home a single vital lesson: make sure the practice of prudent financial management never... RBSIF prefer to offer a ‘joined-up’ service to approve customers at the outset, keep in touch to monitor any slow payment and at the end of the line to provide protection from bad debts in the event of any insolvency The benefits of a joined up approach from one supplier is that the end -to- end service is offered 24/7 on one simple web-based system supported by one local relationship manager 5 Management. .. the launch of the business, the duo were joined by Bernie Kersh, who took up the position of Sales Director David and Alan source products worldwide to ensure they can secure the best possible price for customers All products are manufactured by major IT companies such as IBM, HP, Cisco and Sun Micro Systems ITHS sells its products to national IT distributors and large corporate organizations The business